Chettinad Fish Curry

I call myself a foodie and I love food. However, I don’t like trying new food or meat, especially when I’m at a restaurant. I always order a dish that I have tried and tested and liked, rather than something on the menu that I have never eaten before. I will always be intrigued by something else on the menu but I can never convince myself to order it. For example, my absolute favorite brunch dish is Eggs Benedict. And I always order that! My husband teases me about this all the time because he on the other hand is quite adventurous when it comes to trying out new food and / or meat. He has a list of different kinds of meat that he wants to try! Not me. So I usually order chicken when I’m out and I cook chicken for the most part. I recently cooked turkey which we really enjoyed. And this is only the second time I have cooked fish ever.

Chettinad cuisine originated in a region called Chettinad in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. Chettinad curries use ingredients like fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds, tamarind and coconut. This recipe is my version of a Chettinad Curry. Here’s the recipe:

Serves: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

Oil – 5 tablespoons

Shallots – 6 (Sliced)

Fenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds – 1 teaspoon

Coriander seeds – 1 teaspoon

Black peppercorn – 1 teaspoon

Cardamom pods – 3

Cinnamon – 1 stick

Dried whole red chillies – 2

Ginger – 1 teaspoon (minced)

Garlic – 1 teaspoon (minced)

Fresh curry leaves – handful

Grated coconut – 1/2 Cup

Tomato paste – 3 tablespoons

Salt – 1 teaspoon

Tilapia fillets – 500 gms (Cut in small pieces)

Salt – 1.5 teaspoon

Turmeric – 1 teaspoon

Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon

Instructions:

Mix the marinade ingredients (1/2 teaspoon salt, tamarind and lemon juice) and rub liberally over the fish. Leave for half an hour.